Systems and methods related to time-division and frequency-division duplex protocols for wireless applications

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods related to time-division and frequency-division duplex protocols for wireless applications. In some embodiments, a wireless architecture can include a radio-frequency (RF) path configured to support a first modified time-division duplex (TDD) band operation and a second modified TDD band operation. Such a wireless architecture can allow consolidation of signal paths and/or re-use of components such as filters and duplexers, to advantageously reduce or eliminate some paths and/or components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/010,770 filed Jun. 11, 2014, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS RELATED TOTIME-DIVISION AND TIME-DIVISION/FREQUENCY-DIVISION DUPLEX WIRELESSPROTOCOLS, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to time-division duplexing (TDD) andfrequency-division duplexing (FDD) for wireless applications.

2. Description of the Related Art

In wireless applications, duplexing functionality (e.g., among transmit(Tx) and receive (Rx) operations) can be implemented as time-divisionduplexing (TDD) or frequency-division duplexing (FDD). In a typical TDDsystem, a single frequency can be utilized to provide support both Txand Rx operations by switching between Tx and Rx modes rapidly so as tobe imperceptible to a user. In a typical FDD system, a first frequencycan be utilized for a Tx operation, and a second frequency can beutilized for an Rx operation.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some implementations, the present disclosure relatesto a wireless architecture having a radio-frequency (RF) path configuredto support a first modified time-division duplex (TDD) band operationand a second modified TDD band operation.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe based on a band defined by E-UTRA Operating Bands. The first andsecond modified TDD bands can overlap in frequency by an amount that isless than or equal to a lesser of bandwidths of the first and secondmodified TDD bands. Each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe configured to support either or both of a transmit (Tx) operation anda receive (Rx) operation.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe configured to support a Tx operation. The RF path can include a Txfilter configured to support the Tx operations with the first and secondmodified TDD bands. The first modified TDD band can include, forexample, a B38* Tx band having a frequency range of 2550 MHz-2690 MHzbased on an E-UTRA band B38, and the second modified TDD band caninclude, for example, a B41* Tx band having a frequency range of 2550MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe configured to support an Rx operation. The RF path can include an Rxfilter configured to support the Rx operations with the first and secondmodified TDD bands. The first modified TDD band can include, forexample, a B38* Rx band having a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2640 MHzbased on an E-UTRA band B38, and the second modified TDD band caninclude, for example, a B41* Rx band having a frequency range of 2496MHz-2640 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe configured to support both Tx and Rx operations. The RF path caninclude a TDD filter configured to support both of the Tx and Rxoperations. Each of the first and second modified TDD bands can include,for example, a B41* TDD-A band having a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2605MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41. Each of the first and second modifiedTDD bands can include, for example, a B41* TDD-B band having a frequencyrange of 2585 MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second modified TDDbands can include a frequency range associated with an FDD band. Thefirst modified TDD band can be based on an E-UTRA TDD band, and thesecond modified TDD band can be based on an E-UTRA FDD band. The RF pathcan include a portion of a duplexer (DPX) configured to support thesecond modified TDD band.

In some embodiments, the portion of the duplexer can include a Tx sideof the duplexer. The first modified TDD band can include, for example, aB38*/B41* Rx band having a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2640 MHz based onE-UTRA bands B38 and B41, and the second modified TDD band can include,for example, a B7* Tx band having a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2570 MHzbased on an E-UTRA band B7 Tx. The wireless architecture can besubstantially free of one or more Rx filters for the B38*/B41* Rx band.

In some embodiments, the portion of the duplexer can include an Rx sideof the duplexer. The first modified TDD band can include, for example, aB38*/B41* Tx band having a frequency range of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz based onE-UTRA bands B38 and B41, and the second modified TDD band can include,for example, a B7* Rx band having a frequency range of 2620 MHz-2690 MHzbased on an E-UTRA band B7 Rx. The wireless architecture can besubstantially free of one or more Tx filters for the B38*/B41* Tx band.

In some embodiments, the B38*/B41* Tx band can include a plurality ofband segments such that the first modified TDD band includes one or moreof the band segments. The first modified TDD band can include, forexample, a B41C band segment having a frequency range of 2620 MHz-2690MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41. The wireless architecture can besubstantially free of one or more filters associated with the B41C bandsegment.

In some embodiments, the portion of the duplexer can include a Tx sideof the duplexer or an Rx side of the duplexer. The wireless architecturecan be substantially free of one or more filters associated with thesecond modified TDD band.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second modified TDD bands canbe configured to yield a reduced relative percentage bandwidth. In someembodiments, the first and second modified TDD bands can partiallyoverlap in frequency such that the amount of overlap is less than thelesser of bandwidths of the first and second modified TDD bands. Theamount of overlap can be selected based at least in part on roll-offcharacteristics associated with either or both of the first modified TDDbands.

In some teachings, the present disclosure relates to a method foroperating a wireless device. The method includes providing aradio-frequency (RF) path, and performing a first modified time-divisionduplex (TDD) band operation with at least a portion of the RF path. Themethod further includes performing a second modified TDD band operationwith at least a portion of the RF path.

In a number of implementations, the present disclosure relates to aradio-frequency (RF) front-end module that includes a packagingsubstrate configured to receive a plurality of components, and aradio-frequency (RF) circuit implemented on the packaging substrate. TheRF circuit includes a path configured to provide support for a firstmodified time-division duplex (TDD) band operation and a second modifiedTDD band operation.

In some implementations, the present disclosure relates to a wirelessdevice that includes a transceiver configured to process radio-frequency(RF) signals, and an antenna in communication with the transceiverconfigured to facilitate transmission of an amplified RF signal. Thewireless device further includes a front-end module connected to thetransceiver and the antenna. The front-end module includes an RF circuithaving a path configured to provide support for a first modifiedtime-division duplex (TDD) band operation and a second modified TDD bandoperation. In some embodiments, the front-end module can be configuredto operate in a 3GPP mode.

For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantagesand novel features of the inventions have been described herein. It isto be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may beachieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention.Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner thatachieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taughtherein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taughtor suggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a band architecture that can be configured to providepathways for different bands associated with wireless operations.

FIG. 2 shows specific examples of frequency bands that can be utilizedin 3GPP wireless devices.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show examples of architectures that can be implementedfor the 3GPP frequency bands of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a frequency partitioning configuration thatcan be implemented to provide similar coverage for the example of FIG.2.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show examples of consolidated configurations that can beimplemented utilizing the example band configuration of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows an example TDD B41 configuration.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a TDD configuration implemented utilizing theTDD band of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a modified TDD B41 band configuration B41*,where each of the Tx and Rx passband bandwidths is reduced from theexample B41 configuration of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 shows an example configuration that can be implemented for TDDoperation of the example B41* band structure of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows an example band structure where an FDD B7* band has a Txpassband of 2496 MHz-2570 MHz and an Rx passband of 2620 MHz-2690 MHz,and where a consolidated TDD B38*/41* band has a Tx passband of 2550MHz-2690 MHz.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show example configurations that can be implemented tofacilitate operation of wireless devices utilizing the example bandstructure of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show examples related to how one or more features asdescribed herein can be implemented to provide improvements incoexistence of a WiFi band and nearby frequency bands such as B7 Tx bandand B41 band.

FIGS. 14A and 14B show different views of an example RF module havingone or more features as described herein.

FIG. 15 shows an example wireless device having one or more advantageousfeatures as described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The headings provided herein, if any, are for convenience only and donot necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

Disclosed herein are non-limiting examples of systems, methods andcircuits related to radio communication links, such as those thatinclude Time Division Duplex (TDD) protocols, as well as those thatinclude a combination of both TDD and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)protocols. In a typical FDD system, a first frequency is utilized fortransmitted (Tx) signals, and a second frequency is utilized forreceived (Rx) signals. Because of such pairing of frequencies,simultaneous operation of Tx and Rx features is possible. In a typicalTDD system, a single frequency can be utilized to provide both Tx and Rxfunctionalities by switching between Tx and Rx operations rapidly so asto be imperceptible to a user.

In some communication systems, spectral allocations defined by standardsbodies dictate the bands that may be used for FDD and/or TDD, and oftenthere are band definitions which provide for overlap of part or entireportions of one band with another. When multi-band communication devicesare designed to support combinations of these bands, such devices can beconfigured to, for example, consolidate paths, eliminate filters, and/orsignificantly improve cost and/or insertion loss performance of thefront-end.

When the bands under consideration are TDD, such devices can be furtherconfigured to provide consolidation amongst TDD paths, as well asconsolidations among one or more combinations of FDD and TDD paths sincethe TDD transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) functions are not activesimultaneously.

Although various examples of consolidating embodiments are describedherein in contexts of specific example frequency bands defined by the3GPP standards body, it will be understood that one or more features ofthe present disclosure can also be applied to other frequency bandsassociated with the 3GPP standard and/or other wireless communicationstandards.

FIG. 1 depicts a band architecture 100 that can be configured to providepathways for different bands associated with wireless operations. Insome implementations, such pathways can be configured to provideconsolidation among TDD paths, and/or consolidations among one or morecombinations of FDD and TDD paths. Various examples of suchpath-consolidations are described herein in greater detail.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the band architecture 100 can beconfigured to provide one or more paths for a plurality of transmitchannels (indicated as Tx1 and Tx2) to an antenna. The band architecture100 can also be configured to provide one or more paths for a pluralityof receive channels (indicated as Rx1 and Rx2) for signals received bythe antenna. Although described in the context of an antenna thatprovides both Tx and Rx functionalities, it will be understood that oneor more features of the present disclosure can also be implemented insystems having more than one antenna.

FIG. 2 shows specific examples of frequency bands that can be utilizedin 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) wireless devices. Forexample, Band 7 (B7) is defined to operate in FDD, and thus will havesimultaneous Tx and Rx operations via Tx (2500 MHz-2570 MHz) and Rx(2620 MHz-2690 MHz) paths. This is typically accomplished through theuse of a duplexer, which serves the purpose of both combining the Tx andRx paths into a common terminal, and providing significant isolationbetween the Tx and Rx paths (e.g., to avoid interference of the Rx bythe much higher power and noise level of the Tx path).

To provide such significant isolation, the two relative pass bands ofthe two sides of the duplexer are typically separated by a guard band.It is also desirable to provide high attenuation outside each passband,especially within the passband of its partnered band. Such aconfiguration typically results in frequency roll-off at the edges ofthe passband nearest the partner band, and significant additionalinsertion loss in the passband as a result of the isolation requirement.

In addition to higher insertion loss typically imposed for relativelysmall frequency gaps between the two partner bands, there can be apenalty in insertion loss also imposed by the bandwidth of the passbandas a percentage of the band's center frequency. Typically, the largerthis ratio of the passband bandwidth to center frequency becomes (termedthe percentage relative bandwidth), the larger the passband insertionloss of the filter will be. For example, Band 7 has a relativepercentage bandwidth of 70 MHz/2535 MHz=2.8% relative bandwidth for itstransmit portion, but with a guard band of only 50 MHz/2595 MHz=1.9%relative duplex gap bandwidth.

Band 38 (B38) is also shown in FIG. 2, and is an example of a TDD bandallocation. Accordingly, the Tx and Rx paths are not on at the sametime. The Tx and Rx are both defined to cover the same frequency span,as they are active at different times and can efficiently use that samespectrum while the other path is idle. The Tx and Rx spectral spans areboth defined to be in the guardband of Band 7, and typically do not havea coexistence issue because Band 38 and Band 7 are typically defined forentirely different geographical regions and therefore do not interact.

The percentage relative bandwidth of Band 38 is 1.9% and does not havestrong out-of-band attenuation requirements near its band edges. Boththese factors help to reduce the insertion loss of Band 38 filters.

In another example, Band 41 (B41) is also a TDD band, but can pose asignificant challenge as can be seen in FIG. 2 due to its large passbandand percentage relative bandwidth=194 MHz/2593 MHz=7.5%.

All of the foregoing example bands (B7, B38, B41) can pose significantchallenges because losses generally increase with frequency.Accordingly, the example 2.5 GHz operation generally yields higherlosses than, for example an 800 MHz operation of lower cellular bands.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show examples of architectures that can be implementedfor the 3GPP frequency bands of FIG. 2. In an example configuration 10of FIG. 3A, a dedicated power amplifier (PA) (“B41 PA,” “B38 PA,” or “B7PA”) can be implemented to amplify the Tx signal of each dedicated band(“B41 RFin,” “B38 RFin,” or “B7 RFin”).

Band 7 is shown to utilize a post-PA duplexer (“B7 DPX”) for FDD-basedsimultaneous operation of the B7 RFin path and “B7 Rx” path to and froman antenna (“ANT”) through a common path “B7 Tx/Rx” and a switch “SPnT.”

Band 38 is shown to utilize a post-PA Tx filter (“B38 Tx”) fortransmission through a path “B38 Tx,” the switch SPnT and the antenna.For TDD operation, a dedicated Rx path from the antenna, through theSPnT switch and an Rx filter (“B38 Rx”), is shown to be provided to anRx output “B38 Rx.” The SPnT switch can be configured to provide some orall of the TDD functionality.

Similarly, Band 41 is shown to utilize a post-PA Tx filter (“B41 Tx”)for transmission through a path “B41 Tx,” the switch SPnT and theantenna. For TDD operation, a dedicated Rx path from the antenna,through the SPnT switch and an Rx filter (“B41 Rx”), is shown to beprovided to an Rx output “B41 Rx.” The SPnT switch can be configured toprovide some or all of the TDD functionality.

In an example configuration 20 of FIG. 3B, a common broadband PA(“B7/B38/B41 PA”) is shown to amplify signals from a common input(“B7/B38/B41 RFin”). A selected path among B7, B38, and B41 can beswitched by, for example, an SP3T switch of the common broadband PA. TheFDD-based simultaneous operation of the B7 Tx and Tx, and TDD-basedoperations of the B38 and B41 bands can be performed similarly to thosedescribed in reference to FIG. 3A.

In both FIGS. 3A and 3B, one can note that the TDD filters for Tx and Rxcan cover the same frequency range, but may be designed somewhatdifferently for power handling and intermodulation performance.

In some embodiments, one or more path consolidations can be implementedwhen frequency bands overlap for TDD operations. FIG. 4 shows an exampleof a frequency partitioning configuration that can be implemented toprovide substantially the same coverage for the example 3GPP bands B7(FDD), B38 (TDD), and B41 (TDD) bands. For the purpose of description,the corresponding bands in FIG. 4 are indicated as Band 7* (B7*), Band38* (B38*), and Band 41* (B41*).

In some embodiments, such path consolidation can be implemented toprovide coverage for desired bands with fewer filters, RF paths, and/orless insertion loss than the corresponding configurations without pathconsolidation. For example, in FIG. 4, B7*, B38*, and B41* frequencybands can be re-arranged into two sets of Tx/Rx filter spans.

The Tx band of B7* can be extended to cover down to 2496 MHz (from astandard definition of 2500 MHz) in order to cover the lowestfrequencies of B41*. The receive side of the B7* duplexer can remainunchanged and the small incremental increase to the Tx bandwidth canincrease the relative percentage bandwidth of the duplexer Tx passbandfrom 2.8% to only 2.92%; and therefore does not incur materialdegradation in the B7* insertion loss.

The lower Tx frequency of B7* can, however, come closer to a restrictedregion of spectrum from 2400 MHz to 2485 MHz that is typically assignedto a lowband wireless LAN (WiFi) communication protocol. Thus, anattenuation can be provided to prevent or reduce coexistence issuesbetween Tx and Rx of this extended B7*/B41* region, respectively, fromthe WiFi operation that may also be present inside the same handset.Without such an attenuation, a cellular transmission at the lowerfrequencies can leak power into the WiFi antenna of that same handsetand de-sense its receiver if the transmission noise and spurious effects(e.g., spurious tones) are too high. Likewise, the WiFi transmission mayleak spurious and/or noise into the cellular antenna associated withthese extended B7* and B41* paths to de-sense the cellular link. In someoperating situations, the additional 4 MHz (resulting from extending thelower B7 Tx frequency from 2500 MHz to 2496 MHz) is not consideredsignificant here, but careful design considerations such as forforegoing examples can be implemented to avoid or reduce performancedegradation.

FIG. 4 further shows that consolidation among B38 and B41 (of FIG. 2)can be implemented by utilizing the Tx and Rx paths of the extended Band7 (B7*) to help in reducing the required bandwidth coverage of theremaining portions to completely cover Bands 38 and 41. By allocating,for example, at least 20 MHz overlap of the Tx (2550 MHz-2690 MHz) withthe B7* Tx, the combination of the two paths can carry the maximum 20MHz channel bandwidth defined in 3GPP LTE standard by using one or theother of the defined Tx paths. Similarly the Rx path can have the same20 MHz overlap, and can be implemented, for example, from 2496 MHz to2640 MHz. Both the Tx and Rx percentage relative bandwidths for Band 41have been reduced from 194 MHz/2593 MHz=7.5% to 140 MHz/2568 MHz=5.5%and can therefore significantly improve insertion loss of the filter.

An advanced feature of the 3GPP standard (e.g., 3GPP specification36.101 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification GroupRadio Access Network; Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access(E-UTRA); User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception—3GPP TS36.101 V10.5.0 (2011-12) section 5.6 (Release 10)) describes intra-bandcontiguously aggregated component carriers to extend the bandwidth ofsignals by linking adjacent channels together in active operation, thuscreating effective channels that are much larger than 20 MHz. In orderto address these use case scenarios, the overlap of the foregoingexample bands can be selected based on factors such as coverage of theworst case of expected effective channel bandwidth, decrease inperformance benefits that can occur with increase in the overlap, andspectral availability.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show examples of consolidated configurations that can beimplemented to effectuate the example band configuration described inreference to FIG. 4. FIG. 5A shows an example configuration 110 that caninclude consolidation of some paths of the example 3GPP system of FIG.3A. FIG. 5B shows an example configuration 120 that can includeconsolidation of some paths of the example 3GPP system of FIG. 3B.

In FIG. 5A, the example configuration 110 can include a dedicated PA(B38*/B41* PA, B7* PA) for each of the two defined Tx regions (B38*/B41*RFin, B7* RFin). As with the example configuration 10 of FIG. 3A, the Txand Rx functionalities of the FDD band B7* can be facilitated by aduplexer “B7* DPX.” One Rx filter (“B38*/B41* Rx”) can be provided tocover the corresponding two regions defined for the Rx paths for the TDDbands B38* and B41* (e.g., 2496 MHz to 2640 MHz in the example of FIG.4).

In FIG. 5B, the example configuration 120 can be similar to the exampleof FIG. 5A, but with the two dedicated PAs (B38*/B41* PA, B7* PA)replaced with a single PA (“B7*/B38*/B41* PA) that includes a “HB Tx”amplifier followed by, for example, a single-pole-two-throw (SP2T)switch. Duplexing of the B7* band's Tx and Rx, as well as theconsolidated Rx filter (“B38*/B41* Rx”) for the two Rx paths (for theTDD bands B38* and B41*) can be similar to those described in referenceto FIG. 5A.

It is noted that in both these example implementations, a third Tx path,and some embodiments, the corresponding additional dedicated PA and Txfilter, can be eliminated. By consolidating down from 3 dedicated bandpaths to 2, one PA (in a Tx path) and 2 filters (one in a Tx path, andone in an Rx path) can be eliminated, and insertion loss can be improvedwith reduced bandwidth constraint for B41.

In some implementations, the present disclosure relates to aconfiguration where a given RF filter can be re-used for both Tx and Rxpaths. Although described in the context of TDD operations, it will beunderstood that one or more features of such re-use can also beimplemented in other modes of operation.

In some implementations, the consolidation of the TDD paths can involvea re-use of a single RF filter for both the Tx and the Rx paths. Asdescribed herein, the bandwidth of the Tx and Rx paths is typically thesame for a standard TDD band, and a single filter can be used for bothif an appropriate connectivity is provided.

An example of such a configuration (130) is shown in FIG. 7, where aTx/Rx switch (e.g., SP2T) can be inserted between a PA (“TDD PA”) and ashared filter (“TDD Tx/Rx”) in order to enable selection of either a Txpath (“TDD RFin” and “TDD PA”) or an Rx path (“TDD Rx”). In someembodiments, such a configuration can be implemented in, for example, aTDD Band 41 configuration depicted in FIG. 6.

When the Tx path is enabled, the off isolation of the SP2T switch can beconfigured to handle the leakage of the PA's maximum output power ontothe off Rx port. Typical isolation levels in some SP2T switches canprovide, for example, about 30 dB attenuation (with only about 0.25 dBinsertion loss of the enabled path), and such isolation levels can besufficient to be able to maintain desirable Tx EVM (error vectormagnitude) and linearity performance levels. As an example, many TDDsystems typically use a similar switch/isolation connectivity for GSMoperation without degradation in Tx performance. The much smaller andless expensive post-PA SP2T switch can offer some cost and area benefitover the additional Rx filter of standard implementations. In this way,some or all of a TDD band can be covered for both Rx and Tx with asingle RF filter, with a small increment in insertion loss due to theSP2T switch (typically ≦0.25 dB). The simplification of an antennaswitch 132 with fewer paths to support can offset some of such anaddition in insertion loss at the SP2T switch (e.g., about 0.05 dBdepending on switch technology and/or number of poles).

FIG. 8 shows an example of a modified TDD B41 band configuration(“B41”), where each of the Tx and Rx passband bandwidths is reduced byalmost a factor of 2 from the example B41 configuration of FIG. 6. Inthe example of FIG. 8, the B41* band is shown to include twopartially-overlapping frequency segments, such that a first filter TDD-Acorresponds to a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2605 MHz (bandwidth of 109MHz which is 56% of the bandwidth of B41), and a second filter TDD-Bcorresponds to a frequency range of 2585 MHz-2690 MHz (bandwidth of 105MHz which is 54% of the bandwidth of B41). As described in reference toFIG. 9, each of such frequency segments can be utilized as a TDDpassband for both Tx and Rx operations. Accordingly, the first andsecond segmented Tx/Rx passbands can share a common overlap of, forexample, a worst case maximum channel bandwidth of 20 MHz (between theupper limit 2605 MHz of the first segment and the lower limit 2585 MHzof the second segment) for an improvement in relative percentagebandwidth from 7.5% to 4.3%.

FIG. 9 shows an example configuration 140 that can be implemented forTDD operation of the example B41* band structure of FIG. 8. Acombination of two Tx/Rx switches (e.g., SP2T switches) as shown canenable Tx and/or Rx to be connected through one or the other filter(“TDD-A Tx/Rx” or “TDD-B Tx/Rx”), enabling the use of two basicpassbands for either Tx or Rx. Such Tx/Rx paths associated with thefilters (“TDD-A Tx/Rx,” “TDD-B Tx/Rx”) are shown to be coupled to anantenna through an antenna switch 142. By sharing the Tx and Rx paths,this further consolidation can enable reduced filter bandwidths and/orprovide relaxed requirements.

Referring to FIG. 9, an RF signal to be amplified and transmittedthrough an antenna (ANT) can be provided to a PA (“TDD PA”) as TDD RFIN.Similarly, an RF signal received through the antenna and to be amplified(e.g., by an LNA (not shown)) can be output as TDD Rx. Each of such Tx(TDD RFIN) and Rx (TDD Rx) signals can be processed through either ofthe two example reduced-bandwidth filters indicated as TDD-A Tx/Rx andTDD-B Tx/Rx.

For example, if use of the TDD-A filter is desired for processing ofboth of the Tx and Rx signals, the antenna switch 142 can connect theantenna pole to the throw corresponding to the TDD-A Tx/Rx filter. Insuch a configuration of the antenna switch 142, the antenna pole can bedisconnected from the throw corresponding to the TDD-B Tx/Rx filter.Accordingly, the TDD Rx output can be connected to the TDD-A Tx/Rxfilter (and thereby to the antenna pole of the antenna switch 142)through the upper (as shown in FIG. 9) switch. Similarly, the TDD RFINinput can be connected to the TDD-A Tx/Rx filter (and thereby to theantenna pole of the antenna switch 142) through the same upper switch.Further, TDD operations can be achieved by switching operations of theupper SP2T switch.

Similarly, if use of the TDD-B filter is desired for processing of bothof the Tx and Rx signals, the antenna switch 142 can connect the antennapole to the throw corresponding to the TDD-B Tx/Rx filter. In such aconfiguration of the antenna switch 142, the antenna pole can bedisconnected from the throw corresponding to the TDD-A Tx/Rx filter.Accordingly, the TDD Rx output can be connected to the TDD-B Tx/Rxfilter (and thereby to the antenna pole of the antenna switch 142)through the lower (as shown in FIG. 9) switch. Similarly, the TDD RFINinput can be connected to the TDD-B Tx/Rx filter (and thereby to theantenna pole of the antenna switch 142) through the same lower switch.Further, TDD operations can be achieved by switching operations of thelower SP2T switch.

As frequency is increased in a channel within a given lower passband andrises to a maximum edge, frequency response of the corresponding filterwill typically start to encounter amplitude roll-off and higher levelsof insertion loss at the edge of the filter's passband. In the exampleof FIG. 8 as well as in other similar configurations, such a regionoverlaps the upper passband, whose insertion loss will not be limited bythat same roll-off. Accordingly, the effects of filter roll-off andworst case insertion loss (especially over temperature as the filterskirts move up and down in frequency and typically limit the worst caseperformance of the filter overall) can be overcome. Further, at least inthe area of the overlap, an individual filter roll-off characteristicscan be further optimized or improved by selecting a lower insertion losspath.

In some embodiments, one or more features associated with a designapproach of consolidating TDD bands and/or re-using filter(s) cansimilarly be implemented in more complex front-end architectures whichinclude FDD paths as well. FIG. 10 shows an example band structure wherean FDD B7* band has a Tx passband of 2496 MHz-2570 MHz and an Rxpassband of 2620 MHz-2690 MHz. A consolidated TDD B38*/41* band is shownto have a Tx passband of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz. Similar to the example ofFIG. 4, the TDD B38*/41* band can have an Rx passband of 2496 MHz-2640MHz.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show example configurations 150, 160 that can beimplemented to facilitate operation of wireless devices utilizing theexample band structure of FIG. 10. In both examples, a TDD Rx filter(e.g., “B38*/B41* Rx” filter in FIGS. 5A and 5B) can be eliminated, andfunctionality associated with such an Rx filter can be consolidated withthe Tx side of a “B7* DPX” duplexer.

Accordingly, in the example configuration 150 of FIG. 11A, transmissionof an amplified B38* RFIN signal (amplified by B38*/B41* PA) can beachieved by routing the amplified signal to the antenna pole of anantenna switch 152 through an upper SP2T switch (as shown in FIG. 11A)and a B38*/B41* Tx filter. A signal received through the antenna pole ofthe antenna switch 152 can be routed to a B38*/B41* Rx node through theTx portion of the B7* DPX duplexer and a lower SP2T switch. Such asignal received through the antenna pole of the antenna switch 152 canalso be routed to the B38*/B41* Rx node through the B38*/B41* Tx filterand the upper SP2T switch.

TDD operations associated with B38*/B41* Tx and B38*/B41* Rx can beachieved by switching operations of the upper and lower SP2T switchesand the antenna switch 152, if the Tx side of the B7* DPX duplexer isutilized for the foregoing Rx routing. If the B38*/B41* Tx filter isutilized for the foregoing Rx routing, TDD operations associated withB38*/B41* Tx and B38*/B41* Rx can be achieved by keeping the antennapole (of the antenna switch 152) connected with the throw associatedwith the B38*/B41* Tx filter, and performing switching operations of theupper SP2T switch.

In the example of FIG. 11A, FDD operation of B7* can be achieved throughthe B7* DPX duplexer. The Tx side of the duplexer is shown to receive anamplified B7* RFIN signal (amplified by B7* PA) through the lower SP2Tswitch and output the filtered signal to the antenna pole of the antennaswitch 152. The Rx side of the duplexer is shown to receive a signalfrom the antenna pole of the antenna switch 152, the filtered signal isshown to be routed to a B7* Rx node.

The example configuration 160 of FIG. 11B can be similar to the exampleof FIG. 11A, except that in FIG. 11B, signals to be transmitted for B7*and B38*/B41* can be amplified by a common PA (B7*/B38*/B41* PA)(instead of two separate PAs in FIG. 11A). Accordingly, TDD operation ofTx portion of B38*/B41* can be achieved through the B38*/B41* Tx filteras in FIG. 11A. FDD operation of Tx portion of B7* can be achievedthrough the lower SP2T switch and the Tx side of the B7* DPX duplexer.Rx TDD operation of B38*/B41*, as well as Rx FDD operation of B7*, canbe achieved as in the example of FIG. 11A.

Features associated with the filter performance in regions of overlap,as described herein, can benefit the TDD mode, but the FDD mode canstill be limited by the fundamental duplexer performance (e.g.,unchanged from the standard band dedicated performance of Band 7). Inthe TDD mode, filter performance can be improved due to, for example,reduction in relative percentage bandwidth of 5.3% (140 MHz/(2550 MHz+70MHz) for the B38*/B41* band), and the duplexer insertion loss (whilegenerally higher due to out-of-band attenuation and isolationrequirements) can be mitigated by a smaller relative percentagebandwidth of 2.6% (70 MHz/(2620 MHz+35 MHz) for the B7* Rx band) and thebenefit of the overlap region to reduce the attenuation on the side ofthe filter nearest the guard band and duplex gap, where typical duplexerinsertion losses are typically the worst.

Another benefit that can be obtained by the foregoing example is that aWiFi band and requirements for coexistence can be provided by theduplexer itself at this smaller relative percentage passband bandwidth.Such an advantage can allow a design to satisfy, for example,requirements for a full Band 41 bandwidth which otherwise can incursignificant penalty.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show examples related to how one or more features asdescribed herein (e.g., consolidation of paths and/or re-use offilter(s)) can be implemented to provide improvements in coexistence ofa WiFi band (e.g., 2.4 GHz WiFi band) and nearby frequency bands such asB7 Tx band and B41 band. It is noted that B7 (FDD, 2500 MHz-2570 MHz forTx, and 2620 MHz-2690 MHz for Rx) and B41 (TDD, 2496 MHz-2690 MHz) bandsin LTE front-end architectures in handsets are faced with challenges forcoexistence with 2.4 GHz WiFi band (2400 MHz-2500 MHz). For example,relatively large bandwidths are involved in such LTE architectures, andtight out-of-band attenuation for coexistence with the nearby 2.4 GHzWiFi is typically required or desired. In another example, relativelyhigh losses can occur at a relatively high frequencies around 2.5 GHzdue to switch throw count and other architecture design issues.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a front-end architecture 170 that canaddress the foregoing challenges associated with the 2.4 GHz WiFi bandand one or more nearby LTE bands. Such a front-end architecture is shownto include segmenting of the TDD B41 band into multiple frequency ranges(e.g., B41A, B41B, B41C) so as to reduce the bandwidth of each filter(configured for B41A, B41B or B41C), and to improve in-band insertionloss/out-of-band attenuation performance.

Referring to FIG. 12, a first input RF signal (B7) and a second input RFsignal (B38/B41) are shown to be provided to a PA 172 configured toprovide power amplification for a frequency range that covers B7, B38and B41. Selection of such two inputs can be achieved by a switch 171(e.g., an SP2T switch). An output matching circuit 173 can be providedat the output of the PA 172, and such a matching circuit can beconfigured to provide impedance matching functionality for the frequencyrange associated with the PA 172.

The amplified B7 signal is shown to be routed to a B7 duplexer (“B7DPX”) through a band selection switch 174 and a corresponding matchingcircuit (e.g., one of a group collectively indicated as 175). Theamplified and filtered B7 signal is shown to be routed from the B7duplexer (“B7 DPX”) to an antenna (“HB ANT”) through an antenna switch176 (e.g., an antenna switch module (“HB ASM”)).

In the example of FIG. 12, a B38 signal (having a band that is a sub-setof the B41 band) can be processed as described herein. For the sake ofclarity in the context of processing the segmented portions of thelarge-bandwidth B41 band, FIG. 12 shows that an amplified B41 signal canbe routed (through the band selection switch 174) to an assembly ofsegmented matching circuits and filters corresponding to B41A, B41B andB41C. Such segment-filtered signals are shown to be routed to theantenna (HB ANT) through the antenna switch 176.

Referring to FIG. 12, when WiFi operation is turned OFF, the foregoingsegmented filtering may not be needed. In such a situation, an amplifiedB41 signal can be routed so as to bypass the foregoing segmentedfilters. For example, the amplified B41 signal can be provided to alow-pass filter (LPF) (e.g., to filter out one or more harmonics)through the band selection switch 174 and a corresponding matchingcircuit. The filtered B41 signal can then be routed to the antenna (HBANT) through the antenna switch 176.

In the example of FIG. 12, separate Rx filters are shown to beimplemented for the segmented bands B41A, B41B and B41C. Such filtersare shown to receive their respective signals through the antenna switch176. The corresponding filtered Rx signals are shown to be routed forfurther processing (e.g., to one or more LNAs (not shown)) through aband-selection switch 177.

In the example of FIG. 12, there are six TDD band-pass filters (B41A,B41B, B41C for Tx, and B41A, B41B, B41C for Rx) aside from the bypassLPF and the B7 duplexer (B7 DPX). Such band-pass filters can includerelatively costly technologies, but are often utilized to meetperformance requirements associated with the foregoing WiFi coexistence.

As described in reference to FIG. 2, standard 3GPP band frequencydefinitions are as follows in Table 1.

TABLE 1 3 GPP band Tx Frequency Rx Frequency B7 2500 MHz-2570 MHz 2620MHz-2690 MHz B41 2496 MHz-2690 MHz 2496 MHz-2690 MHz B38 2570 MHz-2620MHz 2570 MHz-2620 MHzIn the example of FIG. 12, the segmentation of B41 into B41A, B41B andB41C can result in band frequency definitions being as listed in Table2.

TABLE 2 Band Tx Frequency Rx Frequency B7 2500 MHz-2570 MHz 2620MHz-2690 MHz B41A ≈ B7Tx 2496 MHz-2570 MHz 2496 MHz-2570 MHz B41C = B7Rx2620 MHz-2690 MHz 2620 MHz-2690 MHz B38/B41B 2550 MHz-2640 MHz 2550MHz-2640 MHz

Referring to Table 2 and FIG. 12, one can see that thefront-architecture 170 does not utilize filters in an efficient manner.For example, there are six filters (three for Tx and three for Rx) forprocessing of the Tx and Rx bands for 41A, 41B and 41C, even though thefrequency ranges are identical between the Tx and Rx bands. Further, onecan see that the B41A band has a frequency range that is approximatelythe same as the frequency range for B7Tx. Similarly, the B41C band has afrequency range that is the same as the frequency range for B7Rx.

FIG. 13 shows that in some embodiments, a front-end architecture 180 canbe configured to provide similar functionality as the example of FIG.12, but with a significantly reduced number of components such asfilters. In the architecture 180 of FIG. 13, a first input RF signal(B7) and a second input RF signal (B38/B41) are shown to be provided toa PA 182 configured to provide power amplification for a frequency rangethat covers B7, B38 and B41, similar to the example of FIG. 12.Selection of such two inputs can be achieved by a switch 181 (e.g., anSP2T switch). An output matching circuit 183 can be provided at theoutput of the PA 182, and such a matching circuit can be configured toprovide impedance matching functionality for the frequency rangeassociated with the PA 182.

For a Tx operation, the amplified B7 signal is shown to be routed to aB7 duplexer (“B7 DPX”) through a band selection switch 184 and acorresponding matching circuit (e.g., one of a group collectivelyindicated as 185). The amplified and filtered B7 signal is shown to berouted from the B7 duplexer (“B7 DPX”) to an antenna (“HB ANT”) throughan antenna switch 186 (e.g., an antenna switch module (“HB ASM”)).

For an Rx operation, a signal received through the antenna is shown tobe routed to the B7 duplexer (“B7 DPX”) by the antenna switch 186. Thefiltered B7 signal is shown to be routed to an Rx path Rx_B7_B41C.

In the architecture 180 of FIG. 13, band frequency definitions as listedin Table 3 can be implemented.

TABLE 3 Band Tx Frequency Rx Frequency B7 2496 MHz-2570 MHz 2620MHz-2690 MHz B41A = B7Tx (Re-used) 2496 MHz-2570 MHz 2496 MHz-2570 MHzB41C = B7Rx (Re-used) 2620 MHz-2690 MHz 2620 MHz-2690 MHz B38/B41B 2530MHz-2660 MHz 2530 MHz-2660 MHzAccordingly, each of B41 (including B41A, B41B, B41C) and B38 bandsignals for transmission (Tx) can be routed to the PA 182 by the switch181, and the amplified signal can be routed to the antenna (HB_ANT inFIG. 13) through the output match circuit 183, the band selection switch184, a corresponding matching circuit among the group 185, a common B41Tx/Tx filter, and the antenna switch 186.

For Rx operations, a B41A band signal can be routed through the Tx sideof the B7 DPX duplexer. Thus, in this example, a Tx side of an FDDduplexer is being re-used for an Rx TDD operation. The filtered B41Aband signal can then be routed to an Rx path (Rx_B41A_B41B) through theB7 matching circuit (among the group 185) and a band selection switch187 (e.g., SP2T). Accordingly, TDD operations involving B41A bandsignals can be achieved by the switch 181 being in a lower-throw state(as shown in FIG. 13), the switch 184 being in a middle-throw state, theswitch 187 being in an upper-throw state, and the antenna switch 186performing TDD switching between the middle and upper throws.

In the example of FIG. 13, a B41B Rx signal (or a B38 Rx signal) can berouted through the B41 Tx/Rx filter. Thus, in this example, a filter isbeing used for both Tx and Rx operations. The filtered B41B band signalcan then be routed to the Rx path (Rx_B41A_B41B) described above forB41A Rx operation, through the B41 Tx/Rx matching circuit (among thegroup 185) and the band selection switch 187. Accordingly, TDDoperations involving B41B band signals can be achieved by the switch 181being in a lower-throw state (as shown in FIG. 13), the antenna switch186 being in a middle-throw state, and TDD switching operations beingperformed by, for example, the switches 184 and 187. For example, theswitch 184 can be in a middle-throw state, and the switch 187 can be ina state other than a lower-throw state, during a Tx phase. Similarly,the switch 184 can be in a state other than a middle-throw state, andthe switch 187 can be in a lower-throw state, during an Rx phase.

In the example of FIG. 13, the B41B Rx signal can also be routed throughthe Tx side of the B7 DPX duplexer, similar to the B41A Rx signal. Insuch a configuration, the B41B band signal can be routed from the Txside of the B7 DPX duplexer to the Rx path (Rx_B41A_B41B) through theband selection switch 187.

In the example of FIG. 13, a B41C band signal can be routed through theRx side of the B7 DPX duplexer. Thus, in this example, an Rx side of anFDD duplexer is being re-used for an Rx TDD operation. The filtered B41Cband signal can then be routed to the Rx path (Rx_B7_B41C) which is alsoutilized for the above-described B7 Rx signal. Accordingly, TDDoperations involving B41C band signals can be achieved by the switch 181being in a lower-throw state (as shown in FIG. 13), the switch 184 beingin a middle-throw state, the switch 187 being in an upper-throw state,and the antenna switch 186 performing TDD switching between the middleand upper throws.

Referring to FIG. 13, when WiFi operation is turned OFF, an amplifiedB41 (or B38) signal can be routed so as to bypass the foregoing TDD Txrouting. For example, the amplified B41 signal can be provided to alow-pass filter (LPF) (e.g., to filter out one or more harmonics)through the band selection switch 184 and a corresponding matchingcircuit. The filtered B41 signal can then be routed to the antenna (HBANT) through the antenna switch 186.

As described above in reference to FIG. 13, an FDD B7 path can beoperated with Tx/Rx switching functionality to re-use FDD filters forTDD operations. If such FDD filters are configured appropriately, asingle TDD can facilitate various TDD operations associated with B38 andB41 bands, instead of six filters in the example of FIG. 12. Further,with the segmentation of B41 into B41A, B41B and B41C, out-of-bandattenuation performance can be improved while saving cost and footprintarea due to the significantly lowered filter count.

As described herein, various features associated with utilizing TDDoverlap bands to consolidate paths, consolidating the overlap areas withdesired reduction in passband bandwidth in TDD implementations, re-useof Tx/Rx filter(s) and associated circuits, and/or some combinationthereof can be implemented in wireless devices having TDD and/or mergedTDD+FDD front-end architectures.

Various examples of architectures having one or more features describedherein can be implemented in a number of different ways and at differentproduct levels. Some of such product implementations are described byway of examples.

In some embodiments, one or more die having one or more featuresdescribed herein can be implemented in a packaged module. An example ofsuch a module is shown in FIGS. 14A (plan view) and 14B (side view). Amodule 810 is shown to include a packaging substrate 812. Such apackaging substrate can be configured to receive a plurality ofcomponents, and can include, for example, a laminate substrate or aceramic substrate. The components mounted on the packaging substrate 812can include one or more die. In the example shown, a die 800 having atleast some of a band architecture 100 as described herein is shown to bemounted on the packaging substrate 812. The die 800 can be electricallyconnected to other parts of the module (and with each other where morethan one die is utilized) through connections such asconnection-wirebonds 816. Such connection-wirebonds can be formedbetween contact pads 818 formed on the die 800 and contact pads 814formed on the packaging substrate 812. In some embodiments, one or moresurface mounted devices (SMDs) 822 can be mounted on the packagingsubstrate 812 to facilitate various functionalities of the module 810.

In some embodiments, the packaging substrate 812 can include electricalconnection paths for interconnecting the various components with eachother and/or with contact pads for external connections. For example, aconnection path 832 is depicted as interconnecting the example SMD 822and the die 800. In another example, a connection path 832 is depictedas interconnecting the SMD 822 with an external-connection contact pad834. In yet another example a connection path 832 is depicted asinterconnecting the die 800 with ground-connection contact pads 836.

In some embodiments, a space above the packaging substrate 812 and thevarious components mounted thereon can be filled with an overmoldstructure 830. Such an overmold structure can provide a number ofdesirable functionalities, including protection for the components andwirebonds from external elements, and easier handling of the packagedmodule 810.

In some implementations, a device and/or a circuit having one or morefeatures described herein can be included in an RF device such as awireless device. Such a device and/or a circuit can be implementeddirectly in the wireless device, in a modular form as described herein,or in some combination thereof. In some embodiments, such a wirelessdevice can include, for example, a cellular phone, a smart-phone, ahand-held wireless device with or without phone functionality, awireless tablet, etc.

FIG. 15 depicts an example wireless device 900 having one or moreadvantageous features described herein. In the context of various bandarchitectures as described herein, some or all of a band architecturecan be part of a module 810. In some embodiments, such a module can be afront-end module configured to facilitate, for example, multi-bandmulti-mode operation of the wireless device 900. The module 810 caninclude an assembly of one or more filters and/or one or more duplexcircuits (920) configured to provide one or more features describedherein. The module 810 can include a switch 922 for routing various bandpaths to and from an antenna 924.

In the example wireless device 900, a power amplifier (PA) module 916having a plurality of PAs can provide an amplified RF signal to theswitch 922 (via the filter/duplexer 920), and the switch 922 can routethe amplified RF signal to an antenna. The PA module 916 can receive anunamplified RF signal from a transceiver 914 that can be configured andoperated in known manners. The transceiver can also be configured toprocess received signals.

The transceiver 914 is shown to interact with a baseband sub-system 910that is configured to provide conversion between data and/or voicesignals suitable for a user and RF signals suitable for the transceiver914. The transceiver 914 is also shown to be connected to a powermanagement component 906 that is configured to manage power for theoperation of the wireless device 900. Such a power management componentcan also control operations of the baseband sub-system 910 and themodule 810.

The baseband sub-system 910 is shown to be connected to a user interface902 to facilitate various input and output of voice and/or data providedto and received from the user. The baseband sub-system 910 can also beconnected to a memory 904 that is configured to store data and/orinstructions to facilitate the operation of the wireless device, and/orto provide storage of information for the user.

In some embodiments, the filter/duplexer 920 can allow transmit andreceive operations to be performed in a TDD, an FDD mode, or somecombination thereof, using a common antenna (e.g., 924). In FIG. 15,received signals are shown to be routed to “Rx” paths 926 that caninclude, for example, a low-noise amplifier (LNA).

A number of other wireless device configurations can utilize one or morefeatures described herein. For example, a wireless device does not needto be a multi-band device. In another example, a wireless device caninclude additional antennas such as diversity antenna, and additionalconnectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

One or more features of the present disclosure can be implemented withvarious cellular frequency bands as described herein. Examples of suchbands can include some or all of bands defined by “E-UTRA OperatingBands,” and examples of such defined bands are listed in Table 4. Itwill be understood that at least some of the bands can be divided intosub-bands. It will also be understood that one or more features of thepresent disclosure can be implemented with frequency ranges that do nothave designations such as the examples of Table 4.

For the purpose of description herein, it will be understood that amodified band can be a TDD band or an FDD band. Further, a modified bandcan be a Tx band or an Rx band. In some embodiments, a modified bandhaving one or more of the foregoing properties can be based on a banddefined by “E-UTRA Operating Bands.”

For example, B38* modified bands can be based on B38 (2570 MHz-2620 MHz)listed in Table 4. A B38* Tx band can have a frequency range of 2550MHz-2690 MHz, and a B38* Rx band can have a frequency range of 2496MHz-2640 MHz. In such a configuration, the B38* Tx and B38* Rx bandsoverlap in a frequency range of 2550 MHz-2640 MHz.

In another example, B41* modified bands can be based on B41 (2496MHz-2690 MHz) listed in Table 4. A B41* Tx band can have a frequencyrange of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz, and a B41* Rx band can have a frequencyrange of 2496 MHz-2640 MHz. In such a configuration, the B41* Tx andB41* Rx bands overlap in a frequency range of 2550 MHz-2640 MHz.

In another example, some or all of B7* modified bands can be based on B7bands (2500 MHz-2570 MHz for Tx, 2620 MHz-2690 MHz for Rx) listed inTable 4. A B7* Tx band can have a frequency range of 2496 MHz-2690 MHz,and a B41* Rx band can have the same frequency range as B7 Rx. It willbe understood that either or both of B7* Tx and B7* Rx can be differentfrom their respective unmodified bands B7 Tx and B7 Rx.

In another example, B41* modified bands can be based on B41 (2496MHz-2690 MHz) listed in Table 4. A B41* TDD-A band can have a frequencyrange of 2496 MHz-2605 MHz, and a B41* TDD-B band can have a frequencyrange of 2585 MHz-2690 MHz. In such a configuration, the B41* TDD-A andB41* TDD-B bands overlap in a frequency range of 2585 MHz-2605 MHz.

It will be understood that other modified band structures can beimplemented to facilitate one or more features as described herein.

TABLE 4 Rx Frequency Range Band Mode Tx Frequency Range (MHz) (MHz) B1FDD 1,920-1,980 2,110-2,170 B2 FDD 1,850-1,910 1,930-1,990 B3 FDD1,710-1,785 1,805-1,880 B4 FDD 1,710-1,755 2,110-2,155 B5 FDD 824-849869-894 B6 FDD 830-840 875-885 B7 FDD 2,500-2,570 2,620-2,690 B8 FDD880-915 925-960 B9 FDD 1,749.9-1,784.9 1,844.9-1,879.9 B10 FDD1,710-1,770 2,110-2,170 B11 FDD 1,427.9-1,447.9 1,475.9-1,495.9 B12 FDD699-716 729-746 B13 FDD 777-787 746-756 B14 FDD 788-798 758-768 B15 FDD1,900-1,920 2,600-2,620 B16 FDD 2,010-2,025 2,585-2,600 B17 FDD 704-716734-746 B18 FDD 815-830 860-875 B19 FDD 830-845 875-890 B20 FDD 832-862791-821 B21 FDD 1,447.9-1,462.9 1,495.9-1,510.9 B22 FDD 3,410-3,4903,510-3,590 B23 FDD 2,000-2,020 2,180-2,200 B24 FDD 1,626.5-1,660.51,525-1,559 B25 FDD 1,850-1,915 1,930-1,995 B26 FDD 814-849 859-894 B27FDD 807-824 852-869 B28 FDD 703-748 758-803 B29 FDD N/A 716-728 B30 FDD2,305-2,315 2,350-2,360 B31 FDD 452.5-457.5 462.5-467.5 B32 FDD N/A1,452-1,496 B33 TDD 1,900-1,920 1,900-1,920 B34 TDD 2,010-2,0252,010-2,025 B35 TDD 1,850-1,910 1,850-1,910 B36 TDD 1,930-1,9901,930-1,990 B37 TDD 1,910-1,930 1,910-1,930 B38 TDD 2,570-2,6202,570-2,620 B39 TDD 1,880-1,920 1,880-1,920 B40 TDD 2,300-2,4002,300-2,400 B41 TDD 2,496-2,690 2,496-2,690 B42 TDD 3,400-3,6003,400-3,600 B43 TDD 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 B44 TDD 703-803 703-803

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” The word “coupled”, as generally usedherein, refers to two or more elements that may be either directlyconnected, or connected by way of one or more intermediate elements.Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, shall refer to this applicationas a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Wherethe context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using thesingular or plural number may also include the plural or singular numberrespectively. The word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items,that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: anyof the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and anycombination of the items in the list.

The above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, theinvention are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention,as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, whileprocesses or blocks are presented in a given order, alternativeembodiments may perform routines having steps, or employ systems havingblocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may bedeleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified. Each ofthese processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of differentways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as beingperformed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performedin parallel, or may be performed at different times.

The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments.

While some embodiments of the inventions have been described, theseembodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are notintended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methodsand systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of otherforms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in theform of the methods and systems described herein may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims andtheir equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications aswould fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

1. A wireless architecture comprising a radio-frequency (RF) pathconfigured to support a first modified time-division duplex (TDD) bandoperation and a second modified TDD band operation.
 2. (canceled)
 3. Thewireless architecture of claim 1 wherein the first and second modifiedTDD bands overlap in frequency by an amount that is less than or equalto a lesser of bandwidths of the first and second modified TDD bands. 4.The wireless architecture of claim 3 wherein each of the first andsecond modified TDD bands is configured to support either or both of atransmit (Tx) operation and a receive (Rx) operation.
 5. (canceled) 6.The wireless architecture of claim 4 wherein the RF path includes a Txfilter configured to support a Tx operation with each of the first andsecond modified TDD bands.
 7. The wireless architecture of claim 6wherein the first modified TDD band includes a B38* Tx band having afrequency range of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B38, andthe second modified TDD band includes a B41* Tx band having a frequencyrange of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.
 8. (canceled) 9.The wireless architecture of claim 4 wherein the RF path includes an Rxfilter configured to support an Rx operation with each of the first andsecond modified TDD bands.
 10. The wireless architecture of claim 9wherein the first modified TDD band includes a B38* Rx band having afrequency range of 2496 MHz-2640 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B38, andthe second modified TDD band includes a B41* Rx band having a frequencyrange of 2496 MHz-2640 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.
 11. (canceled)12. The wireless architecture of claim 4 wherein the RF path includes aTDD filter configured to support both of the Tx and Rx operations. 13.The wireless architecture of claim 12 wherein each of the first andsecond modified TDD bands includes a B41* TDD-A band having a frequencyrange of 2496 MHz-2605 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.
 14. The wirelessarchitecture of claim 12 wherein each of the first and second modifiedTDD bands includes a B41* TDD-B band having a frequency range of 2585MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B41.
 15. The wireless architectureof claim 4 wherein at least one of the first and second modified TDDbands includes a frequency range associated with an FDD band.
 16. Thewireless architecture of claim 15 wherein the first modified TDD band isbased on an E-UTRA TDD band, and the second modified TDD band is basedon an E-UTRA FDD band.
 17. The wireless architecture of claim 16 whereinthe RF path includes a portion of a duplexer (DPX) configured to supportthe second modified TDD band.
 18. The wireless architecture of claim 17wherein the portion of the duplexer includes a Tx side of the duplexer.19. The wireless architecture of claim 18 wherein the first modified TDDband includes a B38*/B41* Rx band having a frequency range of 2496MHz-2640 MHz based on E-UTRA bands B38 and B41, and the second modifiedTDD band includes a B7* Tx band having a frequency range of 2496MHz-2570 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B7 Tx.
 20. The wirelessarchitecture of claim 17 wherein the portion of the duplexer includes anRx side of the duplexer.
 21. The wireless architecture of claim 20wherein the first modified TDD band includes a B38*/B41* Tx band havinga frequency range of 2550 MHz-2690 MHz based on E-UTRA bands B38 andB41, and the second modified TDD band includes a B7* Rx band having afrequency range of 2620 MHz-2690 MHz based on an E-UTRA band B7 Rx. 22.The wireless architecture of claim 21 wherein the B38*/B41* Tx bandincludes a plurality of band segments such that the first modified TDDband includes one or more of the band segments.
 23. The wirelessarchitecture of claim 22 wherein the first modified TDD band includes aB41C band segment having a frequency range of 2620 MHz-2690 MHz based onan E-UTRA band B41.
 24. A radio-frequency (RF) front-end modulecomprising: a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality ofcomponents; and a radio-frequency (RF) circuit implemented on thepackaging substrate, the RF circuit including a path configured toprovide support for a first modified time-division duplex (TDD) bandoperation and a second modified TDD band operation.
 25. A wirelessdevice comprising: a transceiver configured to process radio-frequency(RF) signals; an antenna in communication with the transceiverconfigured to facilitate transmission of an amplified RF signal; and afront-end module connected to the transceiver and the antenna, thefront-end module including an RF circuit having a path configured toprovide support for a first modified time-division duplex (TDD) bandoperation and a second modified TDD band operation.